You Won’t Believe Penn State’s Shocking Spot in 247Sports’ Latest Top 25 Rankings

Every now and then, a college football program just buzzes louder than the rest — and right now, Penn State is ringing the bell for 2025. This isn’t your garden-variety hype; it’s a cocktail of returning talent on both sides of the ball mixed with a coaching infusion that has fans itching for a playoff return. The Nittany Lions don’t just seem poised to make noise—they might actually shake the whole College Football Playoff landscape this season. The buzz swirling out of spring workouts nationwide hasn’t cooled a bit, and if the latest 247Sports post-spring rankings are any indication, the national media isn’t just hopeful — it’s downright confident. Sitting at No. 2 behind only Texas, Penn State climbed two spots since the way-too-early rankings dropped after last season. Plus, with savvy offseason moves in the transfer portal that include fresh weapons at wide receiver, the Lions are sharpening their claws for a deep run. Coach James Franklin’s eyes are still keen on adding linebacker depth, a nod to shoring up their “signature” spot, as they prepare to kick off the season against Nevada come August. If you’re tracking under-the-radar shifts and off-the-field chess moves that could redefine the college football pecking order, this is one story that demands your attention. LEARN MORE

247Sports released its post-spring top 25 rankings for the upcoming 2025 season and Penn State checks in at no. 2 on the list. The only school ranked ahead of Penn State according to 247Sports is Texas. Penn State has found a way to move up two spots in the 247Sports offseason rankings since the close of the 2024 season. Penn State was no. 4 in the way-too-early top 25 immediately following the conclusion of the 2024-25 postseason.Penn State begins its 2025 season with a home game against Nevada on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Coming out of the spring football season around the country, the hopes still remain high for Penn State, and the expectations for the program from the national media continue to set the bar high. Just how high? According to the post-spring top-25 from 247Sports, pretty darn high.The hype machine is in full swing for Penn State football in 2025. With a roster returning so many key players on offense and defense and with a big offseason hiring on the coaching staff, Penn State appears to be a team with all of the right ingredients to make a return to the College Football Playoff in 2025. And perhaps the Nittany Lions could go just a little further when they do.

The case for Penn State as one of the top national title contenders was boosted recently with the addition of Syracuse transfer wide receiver Trebor Pena. Penn State’s staff knew the focus this offseason was going to be improving the wide receiver position. Prior to the recent addition of Pena, Penn State welcomed transfer wide receivers Kyron Hudson from USC and Devonte Ross from Troy. This trio of receivers will b expected to deliver dramatically improved results in the passing game after the last couple of seasons lacked sustained success at the position.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.Penn State may not be done plucking from the transfer portal to round out its roster for the 2025 season. Coming out of Penn State’s spring practices, head coach James Franklin noted he and his staff will be looking to find some linebackers to pad the depth a bit at the program’s signature position.